UKC

I've been to the Engadine valley a couple of time now. Last time I did Piz Kesch which seems like a great introductory alpine route I'm struggling though to find more info in English on other peaks in the area. Does anyone have suggestions for good easier alpine routes in the area? Or has done the AD ridge on Piz Kesch?

In reply to sheelba:

Not climbed the Piz Kesch, but the Biancongrat is an obvious target - fine route, normally 2 days at altitude, not that technically hard.

Haven't done the full traverse, but the Piz Palu traverse is said to be very worthwhile, it is certainly a good mountain to climb. P Boval or P Morteratsch are good days out, very straightforward but worthwhile.

I never found out much about the Piz Scerscen or Piz Roseg, but I had the impression they are pretty serious, especially the descents. But you would really need a Swiss/German guide book (and the ability to understand it!) to find out more about them.

In reply to Simon4:




I can thoroughly recommend the E-W traverse of Piz Palu and Bellavista. Even better if you plan to stay at the Marco e Rosa hut and go on next morning to climb Piz Bernina via the Spallagrat. We also decended the Spallagrat then down the Fortezza Ridge ( you can down climb but quicker with some abseils)


> P Boval or P Morteratsch are good days out, very straightforward but worthwhile.

Morteratch is very straightforward and an excellent intoduction to 3700m peak.

In reply to sheelba:

Piz Roseg is a nice tour and a nice mountain. climbed down the ezelsgrat last year and it looked nice!

Other suggestions that aren't that hard are:

Piz Boval. (really easy warming up tour)
Piz Morteratsch. (sometimes rated PD+ elsewhere AD-)
Piz tschierva.

You can always mail the bergfüherbureau in Pontresina, they know more nice tours in the area and are always willing to help.

grtz, Rik.

In reply to rhoppen:
What route did you climb Roseg by, also what was your descent route?

(Largely as a matter of interest, not sure I will go back, though it is a lovely area. Not while there are still new 4000m peaks to climb anyway).

Though Roseg is a very impressive and fine looking mountain, as is Scersen which looks pretty serious, despite its comparatively low altitude.

A delightful gem of a range, the Bernina Alps, a Western Alpine microcosm carried far to the East of the main honeypots.

In reply to sheelba:

Traverse of Piz Palu is smashing banter. Good snow ridge on the way up then interesting rock on the way down. Fortezza ridge in descent is easy enough to finish. Plenty of bivvy spots on the glacier edge. Never got on the Biancograt but would love to go back.

In reply to sheelba:

Why do people like you ask for advice on this forum and when it is happily given to you by others you lack the basic courtesy of thanking them?

It's a sad reflection on people's general manners these days that you are not alone.

Enjoy your trip.

In reply to Trangia:

That seems a bit harsh. I am grateful for the advice of course but not that rather unpleasant comment. I have thanked people on forums on the past when I've asked for advice but I haven't expected it when I've given advice to others. I hadn't really got around to properly looking at the suggestions.

In reply to sheelba:


No worries, I'm just being a grumpy old man tonight

In reply to sheelba:

It's all useful stuff, thanks. I was actually thinking more of the lower peaks like Piz Kesch, Piz Linard, Piz Filiana, Piz Buin, but the higher stuff sounds appropriate as well.

In reply to Simon4:
Climbed the Roseg via Diemberger route on the face. descent route was ezelsgrat. great climb! Only the ridiculous long way from Pontresina to the start of the wall is a bit of a bummer.

In reply to rhoppen:

Don't have more detailed descriptions of those routes do you, for preference in English?

I have mostly gone from 4000m peak guides when climbing in the area, they don't cover routes like that on what look like 2 very good mountains.

In reply to sheelba:

like many others on this thread, have climbed in the area and can recommend the aforementioned routes. We aimed to do the biancograt but the weather forecasts didn't play in our favour. The actual weather, it turns out, would have been fine. The guides in Pontresina were fantastically helpful, giving us info on conditions, rock routes to do on our rest days etc.

We climbed Piz Morterasch the first day. Lovely climb but the rock scramble from the Boval Hut had us second guessing the approach - until we found the red dots.

Then took the diovalezza up and camped on the glacier for 3 nights, climbing piz cambrena one morning - beautiful but a bit more technical climbing. And then the traverse of Piz Palu. A very comfortable and satisfying day out.

Definitely want to go back for the Biancorgrat as when you see it from Piz Morterasch, it is tempting beyond belief.

Also, stayed in the campsite in Morterasch. Very accommodating couple who run the place - let us come and go as we pleased and just paid for the days we stayed on an honesty basis. And you can talk to all the older couples who climbed the same routes a few years back, in their 70s and make you feel properly humble.

Enjoy

In reply to Simon4:

I'll have a look in my library tomorrow! I don't know about the English description but I'm happy to translate a german one for you!

Grtz

In reply to sheelba:

I've done the Keschnadel route, which is the one I think you're referring to. It was a lovely day out and not a soul on the route. Good rock too. The traverse from the needle to the summit was longer than expecting - fiddly but nicely exposed and a nice change from the ascent itself (easy pitched rock that we did in big boots).

Another nice outing that is not technically difficult but aesthetic and rewarding is the Crasta da la Spraunza / Spraunzagrat on Piz Morteratsch. Very few people do that compared to the normal route.

Lower level but more multi pitch than alpine rock is the Via Tinner on Corn da Mürasciola in Val Da Camp - not strictly Engadine, but a beautiful day outing and again, much quieter than the honeypots.

Slightly harder but shorter is the Grevasalvaspfeiler above Maloja.

I once tried one of the Flüelaschwarzhorn ridges (S, I think) but it was like playing supersize jenga and my wife was pregnant at the time, so we binned it pronto. Rock quality was grim.

I live in the Engadine and to be honest I rate the Bregaglia more for density and range of routes, it's also close enough for day outings.

Hope this helps.

L

In reply to LukeO:

Thanks I'm coming to that conclusion myself. Just got the pdf guide to Albigna and it looks great. Do you know of an English guide to Italien side? My friend has Solo Granito but it seems pretty useless even if I could understand Italian.

In reply to sheelba:

Plaisir Sud has a few routes from round that side, and it's a doddle to use. The SAC guides are fairly comprehensive but only in German. Solo Granito might be available in English.
L

In reply to LukeO:

Thanks, is it ok if I email you some questions about climbing there?

In reply to sheelba:

Sure, no problems.